ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Big boost to exports from non-traditional regions, Mohua flower from Chhattisgarh & Himalayan Goat meat from Uttarakhand exported to France & United Arab Emirates
APEDA organize virtual meet with Laos for agri-export promotion
APEDA organized dragon fruit promotion programme in Saudi Arabia
The government’s thrust on promoting agricultural and processed food products exports from the regions which were not earlier part of the country's export map, is gradually bearing fruits.
Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority  today facilitated exports of dehydrated Mohua flower from Chhattisgarh and Himalayan goat meat from Uttarakhand to France and United Arab Emirates respectively.
For promoting exotic fruit like dragon fruit exports, APEDA also organized a promotional event at Saudi Arabia market.
For the first time, a consignment of dehydrated Mohua flower was exported via sea to France from Chhattisgarh. The produce was sourced from forest in Korba district, Chhattisgarh & processed by APEDA registered Enterprise.
Mahua flowers exported to France were collected mostly by the tribal population from forest of Korba, Kathghora, Surguja, Pasan, Pali, Churri in Chhattisgarh. Dehydrated Mahua flowers are used for making liquor, medicine & syrup.
For boosting income of small ruminant farmers, a consignment of processed Himalayan Goat meat sourced from villages of Uttarakhand hills was exported to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The export of meat from Uttarakhand will boost the livelihood for farmers and enhance their economic status. This initiative of APEDA and other organizations will also lead to an increase in the income of farmers of Uttarakhand.
Meanwhile, boosting agricultural exports potential, APEDA in association with Indian embassy today organized a Virtual Buyer Seller Meet  with Lao People’s Democratic Republic where key officials and stakeholders from food industries for both the countries participated.
The virtual meet with Laos was the 37th in the series of VBSM organized by APEDA with various countries for boosting exports of agricultural and processed food from India. India mostly exports buffalo meat, marine products, groundnut, cotton, oil meals, animal casing and spices to Laos.
In a major boost to exports of exotic fruits, APEDA in association with Indian embassy today organized a dragon fruit promotion programme for the Saudi Arabia market in association with a leading retailergroup. Dragon Fruit, also referred to as Kamalam in India.
APEDA recently facilitated dragon fruit exports from Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal to the United Kingdom, King of Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. The cultivation of dragon fruit requires less water and can be grown in various kinds of soils. At present, dragon fruit is grown mostly in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. West Bengal is new to taking up cultivation of this exotic fruit.
Ministry of Power
India hosts first meeting of Governing Board of BIMSTEC Energy Centre 
India hosted the first meeting of the Governing Board of BIMSTEC Energy Centre  on 27th February, 2023 at Shangi-La Hotel. Bengaluru. Shri Ajay Tewari, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Power, and chairperson of the Governing Board of the BEC, welcomed the delegates from BIMSTEC member countries and gave a brief background about ongoing cooperation among BIMSTEC countries.
There was active participation from all BIMSTEC countries viz. Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand along with BIMSTEC Sectt. All member states appreciated the opportunity to have been able to convene after a long hiatus.
India’s “Neighbourhood first” and “Act East” Policies were highlighted during the meeting. A snapshot of areas where BIMSTEC countries could learn from each other was also presented.
As the Host of the BIMSTEC Energy Centre, India made a presentation on establishing the BIMSTEC Energy Centre  in India. It was conveyed to the member countries that the BEC will be housed in the premises of the Central Power Research Institute , Bengaluru.
Shri. Ghanshyam Prasad, Chairperson, CEA was nominated as the first Executive Director of the BIMSTEC Energy Centre. The Meeting considered and finalized the Note on “Host Country Agreement between the Government of Republic of India and the BIMSTEC Secretariat”. The same was recommended to the Seventh Meeting of BIMSTEC Permanent Working Committee for consideration.
Considering the current energy scenario in BIMSTEC region, the Meeting recommended to add the additional following areas under the specialized Wings of BEC:  Cyber Security,  Green Hydrogen  Energy Transition
The member countries appreciated India’s efforts for organizing the first meeting of the Governing Board of BIMSTEC Energy Centre. All countries also expressed that such meetings of the BIMSTEC may happen more frequently.
Prime Minister's Office
Prime Minister’s meeting with Prime Minister of Finland
Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met H.E. Ms. Sanna Marin, Prime Minister of Finland, in Copenhagen on the sidelines of the 2nd India-Nordic Summit. This was the first in-person meeting between the two leaders.
Both sides expressed satisfaction at the progress made in the implementation of the outcomes of the bilateral Virtual Summit held on March 16, 2021.
Both leaders noted that areas like sustainability, digitalization and cooperation in science and education were important pillars of the bilateral partnership. They discussed opportunities to expand cooperation in the fields of new and emerging technologies like AI, quantum computing, future mobile technologies, clean technologies and smart grids.
Prime Minister invited Finnish companies to partner with Indian companies and take advantage of the enormous opportunities that the Indian market presents, particularly in telecom infrastructure and digital transformations.
Discussions also took place on regional and global developments, and on greater cooperation in international organizations.
Prime Minister's Office
PM to visit Punjab on January 3, 2019
To inaugurate 106th edition of Indian Science Congress in Jalandhar
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi will visit Punjab on January 3, 2019.
He will inaugurate the 106th edition of Indian Science Congress -2019 on January 3 in Jalandhar, Punjab. He will also deliver the inaugural address on this occasion.Prime Minister will then proceed to Gurdaspur in Punjab, where he will address a Public Rally.
In keeping with the PM’s vision to give a boost to spirit of Science, Technology and Innovation across the country, it will be the fifth Indian Science Congress to be addressed by the Prime Minister Shri Modi since he assumed office . In the Past, he has delivered Inaugural Address at 105th Edition of ISC in 2018, 104th Edition in 2017, 103rd Edition in 2016 and 102nd Edition in 2015.
Special Service and Features
Azadi ka Amrut Mahotsav- Celebration of 75 Years of Indian Independence: Fit India Freedom Run in Chennai
The State level Inauguration of Fit India Freedom Run 2.0 was inaugurated on 13th August at 7AM by Shri. Siva V. Meyappan, Hon'ble Minister for Climate Change, Youth Welfare and Sports Development, Govt of Tamil Nadu. He also read out the freedom India pledge. The Honourable Minister asked the students and general public to take care of their health by devoting 30 minutes of physical exercise everyday to keep their body fit and free from diseases.
In the function, Shri Dayanidhi Maran, Former Union Minister and Hon'ble Member of Parliament participated as special guest. Shri Apurva Varma, Additional Chief secretary YWSD, Govt of Tamil Nadu, Shri.Ramesh Chand Meena, Principle Secretary & MS SDAT Govt of Tamil Nadu, Shri MN Natraj, State Director, NYKS Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, Dr. C.Samuel Chelliah Regional Director, NSS Chennai, Dr.Vineeta Aggarwal, NSS Programme Coordinator, University of Madras and Sh.J Sampath Kumar DD NYKS Chennai also participated in the inauguration of Fit India Freedom Run 2.0 at Bharathiyar illam, Triplicane, Chennai.
The freedom Run was flagged off by the Honourable Minister Sh.Siva.V.Meyyanathan from the house of freedom fighter and great Tamil poet Shri.Subramania Bharathiyar, Triplicane and the run culminated at Swamy Vivekananda House Marina beach Chennai. Around 170 youth from NYKS, NSS, SDAT Sports persons and officers from NSS, NYKS, SDAT took active part in the Fit India Freedom Run and created awareness on importance of 30 minutes physical exercise for fitness. .
This is stated in a press release issued by Dr.Samuel Chelliah, NSS Regional Director, Chennai.
Ministry of Corporate Affairs
4,73,131 number of Indian Companies and 1,065 number of Foreign Companies have been benefited by availing the Companies Fresh Start Scheme , 2020
As per records available with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs , 4,73,131 number of Indian Companies and 1,065 number of Foreign Companies have been benefited by availing the Companies Fresh Start Scheme , 2020 for filing their pending documents.
This was stated by Shri Anurag Singh Thakur, Union Minister of State for Finance & Corporate Affairs in a written reply to a question in Rajya Sabha today.
The Ministry of Corporate Affairs  through the General Circular No. 12/2020 dated 30.03.2020 launched the Companies Fresh Start Scheme,  2020 which inter- alia provides opportunities to Companies to make good any filing related defaults, regardless of duration of defaults, and make a fresh start as a fully compliant entity.
Giving more details, the Minister said the Scheme condoned the delay in filing the belated documents and gives immunity from prosecutions and proceedings for imposition of penalty which might arise on account of such delayed filing of documents. No additional fees was charged for late filing during a moratorium period from 1st April to 31st December, 2020 in respect of documents, returns etc. required to be filed in MCA-21 Registry.
Break up of Number of Companies that availed the scheme State/UT-wise which is as per Annexure- A.
Prime Minister's Office
Empowering the youth of our nation is at the heart of our government’s work: PM
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has shared articles, graphics, videos and information about the Government’s commitment to creating an ecosystem where aspirations of every youngster are fulfilled.
The Prime Minister tweeted :
"Empowering the youth of our nation is at the heart of our government’s work. Across diverse sectors, we are committed to creating an ecosystem where every youngster’s aspirations are fulfilled. #9YearsOfEmpoweringYouth”
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
Incentives for Adoption of Renewable Energy
The Government has taken several steps to promote renewable energy in the country. These include :
- permitting Foreign Direct Investment  up to 100 percent under the automatic route,
- waiver of Inter State Transmission System  charges for inter-state sale of solar and wind power for projects to be commissioned by 30th June 2025,
- declaration of trajectory for Renewable Purchase Obligation  up to the year 2022,
- setting up of Ultra Mega Renewable Energy Parks to provide land and transmission to RE developers on a plug and play
basis,
- schemes such as Pradhan MantriKisanUrja Suraksha evamUtthaanMahabhiyan , Solar Rooftop Phase II, 12000 MW CPSU Scheme Phase II, etc,
- laying of new transmission lines and creating new sub-station capacity under the Green Energy Corridor Scheme for evacuation of renewable power,
- setting up of Project Development Cell for attracting and facilitating investments,
- Standard Bidding Guidelines for tariff based competitive bidding process for procurement of Power from Grid Connected Solar PV and Wind Projects.
- Government has issued orders that power shall be dispatched against Letter of Credit  or advance payment to ensure timely payment by distribution licensees to RE generators.
The Ministry supports a scheme “Renewable Energy Research and Technology Development Programme” through various research institutions and industry which is being implemented to enable indigenous technology development and manufacture for wide spread applications of new and renewable energy in an efficient and cost effective manner across the country.
The scheme encourages research and technology development proposals in collaboration with the industry and provides upto 100% financial support to Government/non-profit research organizations and upto 50-70% to Industry, Start-ups, Private Institutes, Entrepreneurs and Manufacturing units.
This information was given by Union Minister for Power and New and Renewable Energy Shri R.K Singh in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
FCI stocks comfortable even after fulfilling extra commitments during the lockdown: Shri Ram Vilas Paswan
FCI sold 4.50 LMT wheat and 5.61 LMT rice through Open Market Sales Scheme during the lockdown, says Minister
Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Shri Ram Vilas Paswan has given detailed information about the various steps taken by the government and the total stocks of food grains and pulses available with the government and sent to the states till now.
The Minister said that as per the report dated 04.05.2020, FCI currently has 276.61 LMT rice and 353.49 LMT wheat. Hence a total of 630.10 LMT food grain stock is available. About 60 LMT food grains is required for a month under NFSA and other welfare schemes.
The Minister informed that since the lockdown, about 69.52 LMT food grains have been lifted and transported through 2483 rail rakes. Apart from the rail route, transportation was also done through roads and waterways. A total of 137.62 LMT has been transported. Total 5.92 LMT grains have been transported to the North-Eastern States.
During the lockdown, NGOs and social institutions running relief camps can purchase wheat and rice directly from FCI Depots at Open Market Sales Scheme  rate. The State Governments can also purchase food grains directly from FCI. State Governments can also provide rice / wheat to non-NFSA families who have been issued ration cards by the State Governments, for the next three months. A letter regarding OMSS has been sent to the Chief Ministers of all the States/ Administrators of UTs with request to provide ration to the needy non-NFSA families. Under the OMSS, the rates of Rice is fixed at Rs.22/kg and Wheat- Rs.21/kg. FCI has sold 4.50 LMT wheat and 5.61 LMT rice through OMSS during the lockdown period.
Under the “Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Ann Yojana”, for next 3 months a total of 104.4 LMT rice and 15.6 LMT wheat is required of which 59.50 LMT rice and 8.14 LMT wheat have been lifted by various States and UTs. Wheat has been allocated to 6 States/UTs, - Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Delhi and Gujarat and rice has been provided to the remaining States/UTs. The Government of India is bearing 100% financial burden of approximately Rs. 46,000 crores under this scheme.
As regards Pulses, the total requirement for the next three months is 5.82 LMT. So far, 220727 MT pulses have been dispatched while 147165 MT Pulses have reached the States/UTs and 47490 MT has been delivered. A total of 12.54 LMT pulses  is available in the buffer stock as on 05 May 2020.
Meanwhile, the Department of Consumer Affairs has notified face masks and sanitizers under the Essential Commodities Act in view of their increased demand due to COVID-19. Prices of masks, sanitizers and ingredients used in their manufacturing have also been capped. States have been given guidelines to ensure there is no obstruction in supply-chain management due to lockdown and check prices of all essential items. The Centre has delegated all powers to the State Governments to take decisions under the EC Act.
Ministry of Defence
PASSING OUT PARADE
AUTUMN TERM 2021 HELD AT INDIAN NAVAL ACADEMY ON 27 NOV 21
In a spectacular Passing out Parade  held at Indian Naval Academy , Ezhimala, on Saturday, 27 Nov 21, 231 trainees comprising Midshipmen of 101 INAC, cadets of 31 Naval Orientation Course  and 33 Naval Orientation Course  passed out with flying colours, marking the culmination of their ab-initio training.
The Parade was reviewed by Ms Mariya Ahmed Didi, Honourable Defence Minister of Maldives who awarded medals to meritorious Midshipmen and Cadets on completion of the Ceremonial Review. Vice Admiral Anil Kumar Chawla, PVSM, AVSM, NM, VSM, ADC, Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command was the Conducting Officer.
The ‘President’s Gold Medal’ for the Indian Naval Academy B. Tech Course was awarded to Midshipman Ranjan Kumar Singh. The other medal winners were as follows: -
 CNS Silver medal for INAC B. Tech Course - Midshipman Kavish Kankran
 FOC-in-C South Bronze Medal for INAC B. Tech Course-Midshipman Swapnil Shivam
 CNS Gold Medal for NOC  - Cadet Varad S Shinde
 FOC-in-C South Silver Medal for NOC - Cadet Chintan Chhatbar
 Commandant, INA Bronze Medal for NOC  – Cadet Rahul Rana
 CNS Gold Medal for NOC  - Cadet Aavriti Bhatt
 Commandant, INA Silver Medal for NOC - Cadet Simran P kaur
 Zamorin Trophy for Best All round women cadet - Cadet Aavriti Bhatt
The successful trainees marched with their gleaming swords and rifles held in salute, past the Academy’s Quarterdeck, in Slow March, to the traditional notes of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ - the poignant farewell tune played by armed forces around the world when bidding adieu to colleagues and comrades, for their ‘Antim Pag’ or final step at the Indian Naval Academy.
Ms. Mariya Ahmed Didi, Defence Minister of Maldives congratulated the trainees on parade for their impeccable turn out, smart drill and movements on parade. The Reviewing Officer emphasised on the core values of duty, honour and courage. The Reviewing Officer and other dignitaries shipped the stripes of passing out trainees and congratulated them for their successful completion of the rigorous training. These officers will proceed to various Naval ships and establishments to further consolidate their training in specialised fields. Stringent precautionary measures instituted by the Academy were instrumental in accomplishing the challenging objectives of training cadets during COVID-19 and successful culmination of the Autumn Term 2021 at INA.
_________________________________________________________________________
ABB/VM/JSN 159/21
(Visitor Counter : 953
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
Prasar Bharati Procurement Policy
In the spirit of ease of doing business at Prasar Bharati, for the first time a procurement policy was released by the Secretary I&B Shri Apurva Chandra, in the presence of Prasar Bharati Member  DPS Negi, Additional Secretary Neerja Sekhar, and other higher officials.
The Prasar Bharati Procurement Policy, is a directive to all procurement entities in all Prasar Bharati verticals, including All India Radio  and Doordarshan , to procure materials, services, and work of the specified quality at the most competitive prices in a fair, just, and transparent manner. To accomplish this, Prasar Bharati was in need of a uniform and well-documented policy guideline and processes in place, ensuring that critical works are completed on time, in a well-coordinated manner, and with the fewest cost overruns possible.
On the occasion of release of procurement policy “Secretary I&B Shri Apurva Chandra appreciated the efforts of Prasar Bharati in bringing such kind of a comprehensive policy which will help the organization in achieving many milestones timely.”
The procurement process will be segregated into major steps with modes of procurement which will impact on process standardization and reduction in procurement timelines
Member  & Member  Shri D.P.S. Negi said that “I am confident that the comprehensive Policy will assist in expediting procurement processes, resulting in timely budget usage and fulfilling completion deadlines, particularly for infrastructure Projects. The Prescribed timeline for different stages of procurement activities would enhance the efficiency of procurement system of the organization. A PDF version of this document will be available at Prasar Bharati website: https://prasarbharati.gov.in
Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas
Oil and Gas PSUs sign MOUs for Construction and Redevelopment of Shri Badrinath Dham as a Spiritual Smart Hill Town;
Chief Minister of Uttarakhand and Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel jointly witness the signing
Memoranda of Understanding  were signed today between the Oil and Gas PSUs-IndianOil, BPCL, HPCL, ONGC and GAIL, and Shri BadrinathUtthan Charitable Trust for Construction and Redevelopment of Shri BadrinathDham as a Spiritual Smart hill Town. The MoUs were signed in the august presence of the Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Shri Tirath Singh Rawat, Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas & Steel Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Tourism Minister of Uttarakhand Shri SatpalMaharaj, Secretary, MoPNG Shri TarunKapoor, Chief Secretary of Uttarakhand Shri Om Prakash, and senior officers of the MoPNG, Uttarakhand Government and Oil & Gas PSUs.
As per the MoUs, the Oil & Gas PSUs will be contributing Rs. 99.60 crore in the first phase of the developmental activities, including river embankment work, building all-terrain vehicular path, building bridges, beautifying existing bridges, establishing gurukul facilities with accommodation, creating toilet and drinking water facilities, installing streetlights, mural paintings etc.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Pradhan said that Char Dham is close to millions of Indians, due to spiritual, religious and cultural reasons. The Oil and Gas PSUs will not only contribute to the development work of the Badrinath, but are also part of the development of Kedarnath, Uttarkashi, Yamunotri and Gangotri. He said “Today's event is a significant milestone in the direction of Hon'blePrime Minister NarendraModi's vision of developing Badrinath shrine as a mini smart and spiritual city, without compromising on the religious sanctity and mythological importance of the region."
Lauding the efforts of Oil & Gas PSUs in developing the facilities, Shri Pradhan said, "I am glad that Oil and Gas PSUs of this nation have come forward to realise the vision of developing BadrinathDham into a Smart Spiritual Town. Tourism is one of the key industries, which is playing a critical role in the development of the state. Development of the sites like Badrinath would also help in attracting more tourists, which in turn would strengthen the economy of the state."
Addressing on the occasion, Shri Tirath Singh Rawatsaid, "I congratulate Union Minister Shri Dharmendra Pradhan and Oil & Gas PSUs for extending their supports for this noble initiative. Shri BadrinathDham has a special place in the hearts of the people of this country. It is considered to be one of the most sacred places in our country, and the developmental activities are much needed to provide the best of facilities to the pilgrims from across the country. With the concerted efforts of both Uttarakhand Govt. and Oil & Gas PSUs, we are hopeful of that the rejuvenation work of Shri BadrinathDham will be completed within a span of three-year time."
Prime Minister's Office
PM congratulates Joe Biden on winning U.S. presidential election
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has congratulated Joe Biden on winning the U.S. presidential election.
"Congratulations Joe Biden on your spectacular victory! As the VP, your contribution to strengthening Indo-US relations was critical and invaluable. I look forward to working closely together once again to take India-US relations to greater heights", the Prime Minister said.